“Maoist Traitor Lobby” at VSSC Colluding with Kerala Police and Dubai Spies Network, Claims Former ISRO Scientist Praveen Maurya

A series of viral Instagram reels and old X posts by former ISRO scientist Praveen Kumar Maurya have suddenly brought a years-old national security controversy back into the spotlight. Recently, on his Instagram handle @life.neeti, Maurya posted a series of reels titled “My Story” that have gained traction. In the reels, Maurya alleges that the officials at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), part of a ‘Maoist Traitor Lobby,’ and the Kerala Police are working in collusion with a Dubai based spy network to pass forth sensitive information relating to India’s space programs. 

The Explosive Allegations

Hailing from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Maurya joined ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram around 2014 as a rocket scientist. He worked on cutting-edge projects including scramjets, hypersonics and India’s human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan.

Maurya’s social media posts have since garnered significant attention from the users, racking thousands upon thousands of views and comments alike. His story has drawn attention again upon this forgotten issue. Many are raising serious questions: Is there a spy network operating inside one of India’s premier space research centres? Are sensitive missile technologies being leaked?

Maurya’s most recent public allegations, made in March 2025 are direct and deeply concerning. On March 7, 2025, he posted on X: “I request @DRDO_India to never share any info with VSSC/@isro. I witnessed the details of the AD-1 model of the Hypersonic Brahmos Missile that came for testing from DRDL at HWTD/VSSC being communicated to the spy network by my Group Director, at VSSC.”

Just a day before that, he had warned: “They are planning disruption activities such as terror, bombing, political propaganda, and civil war all over India. The Maoist traitor lobby of VSSC/ISRO passes all the information collected from all over India to the Spy network which operates via Dubai/UAE.”

He further stated: “I was ordered to be part of the disruption activities which involved espionage, terror, bombing, and political propaganda, and civil war all over India. Because of my refusal, these Maoist traitors from Kerala abducted me and destroyed my life.”

See also: ISRO Technologies Sold to Private Firms at Steep Discount: Parliamentary Panel

Although the X posts are more than a year old, they have gone viral once again due to Maurya’s “My Story” reel series on Instagram. Public concern has surged, with many drawing comparisons to the well-known 1990s ISRO espionage case that ultimately led to the exoneration of scientist Nambi Narayanan.

Early Complaints and Discrimination

Maurya says that he has been subjected to mistreatment under the agency, even before he became aware of the presence of alleged spy networks. Back in January 2022, he accused senior VSSC officials from Kerala of discriminating against North Indians. He claimed that he had been given poor Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs), in a deliberate attempt to block promotions and to terminate non-local scientists. 

The Honeytrap Scandal

Maurya was approached by Ajikumar Surendran, a neighbour who claimed to be married to a Filipino woman, in late 2021. Boasting strong Dubai connections, Surendran repeatedly approached Maurya, promising him a ‘hefty’ sum to leak classified Gaganyaan and other ISRO data to a spy network operating through Dubai/UAE.

Maurya refused, and penned a formal letter to the Prime Minister’s Office and other concerned authorities, informing them about the incident.  “I was approached by spies for carrying out espionage. They promised me huge money in exchange for working as per the command of some people in Dubai,” a part of the letter read.

In February 5-6 2022, the situation escalated further when Surendran’s minor daughter, bought from the Philippines, was allegedly used in a ‘honey-trap’ setup, meant to indict Maurya. Maurya was arrested by the Kerala Police from the Thumba station on charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, alleging he harassed the minor and sold her narcotics. 

Maurya further maintained that the Kerala police, VSSC/ISRO’s ‘Maoist Traitor Lobby’, and Surendran (and by extension the Dubai/UAE spy network), were working in collusion with each other. He says VSSC employees leaked his personal details and were present during the arrest. He also claims he was tortured in custody and that the FIR was filed a day later with inconsistencies. No drugs were ever recovered. 

Pointing out a line in the FIR itself, which highlighted  “Praveen is a North Indian”, Maurya stated in one of his reels:  “It is shamelessly written in my FIR that ‘Praveen is a North Indian’, probably because being a north Indian is a crime in Kerala, or perhaps being a north Indian I did not participate with the Maoist Traitor’s Lobby of Kerala in waging war against India.”

Maurya was granted bail on February 8, 2022, but faced immediate suspension by ISRO. He alleged that the harassment continued even after his release, including honey-trap attempts through WhatsApp and video calls, threats to delete his social media posts, and warnings issued to his family. In response, he started recording all interactions. In one widely shared audio clip posted by Maurya on Youtube, a Sub-Inspector reportedly disclosed internal ISRO decisions before they were officially announced. Maurya questioned: “How does a mere Sub-Inspector in Trivandrum know on 25th April that a committee at ISRO Headquarters in Bangalore will revoke my suspension on 6th May 2022?”

Between April and November 2022, he filed several detailed complaints with the Prime Minister’s Office, ISRO Chairman, Union Home Minister, Chief Justice of India, and other authorities, demanding a CBI or NIA investigation. He claimed that growing public support led the PMO to direct ISRO to conduct an internal inquiry. Despite receiving threats, he refused to back down.

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While fighting the legal battle, Maurya studied law so he could represent himself in court. For nearly three years, he fought the case single-handedly.

Court Victory and Fresh Allegations  

In 2025, the court fully acquitted him. Maurya later stated: “Now the honourable court has acquitted me of all charges. I had to fight for three years to prove my innocence, that I am neither a drug supplier nor a child molester, but just an ordinary space scientist who refused to commit treason for money.”

He chose not to rejoin ISRO, citing concerns for his safety. That same year, he made his most serious allegation yet, claiming that a Group Director at VSSC had directly leaked sensitive AD-1 hypersonic BrahMos missile data.

Supreme Court Steps In 

In January 2026, the Supreme Court directed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate Maurya’s allegations of human rights violations during his arrest and subsequent treatment. He described the order as a “glimmer of hope” while continuing to demand a thorough probe into the alleged espionage case.

Life After ISRO: The LifeNeeti Chapter  

Through his LinkedIn profile, Instagram handle (@life.neeti), and website lifeneeti.com, Maurya now shares motivational content focused on courage, strategy, and resilience. On his “My Story” page, he presented the entire ordeal as a difficult yet transformative experience that shaped him. His recent reels recounting his journey have gone viral, once again bringing his case into millions of homes.

No Official Confirmation, But Questions Remain  

So far, there has been no official statement from ISRO, DRDO, NIA, or CBI confirming the existence of a spy network, the involvement of any Group Director, or the leakage of AD-1 missile technology. No public arrests or charges have been reported against the individuals named by Maurya. However, he was completely acquitted in his criminal case, and the Supreme Court-directed NHRC investigation into the human rights violations is currently underway.

As his reels continue to spread and citizens call for answers, Praveen Kumar Maurya’s story has once again drawn national attention to the urgent need for transparency and stronger safeguards within India’s strategic scientific institutions. The coming weeks may bring new updates from the NHRC or central agencies. For now, one thing is certain: the conversation is far from over.

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